Gujarat: Monsoon takes a breather; new alerts for heavy rains in Kutch, Saurashtra

Ahmedabad: After a week of relentless rainfall across Gujarat, the state is finally experiencing a much-needed break. As per the State Emergency Operation Center, Gandhinagar, in the last 24 hours, the average rainfall recorded was just 1.36 mm.

During this period, the Mundra taluka in Kutch region received the highest rainfall in the state, measuring nearly one inch. In contrast, 68 talukas across Gujarat reported less than an inch of rain, and no rainfall was recorded between 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, indicating a temporary cessation of the heavy showers that have recently plagued the region.

As of August 31, the cumulative average rainfall for the ongoing monsoon season across Gujarat is 111 per cent of the average level. The Kutch zone is leading with a remarkable 179 per cent of its seasonal average, followed by the Saurashtra zone with over 124 per cent, and the South Gujarat zone with more than 111 per cent. Meanwhile, the East-Central Gujarat zone has recorded over 105 per cent, while North Gujarat lags slightly behind, with the total seasonal average rainfall at 88 per cent.

This brief respite from the rains provides some relief to the state, allowing officials to begin assessing the impact of the past week's weather and prepare for any future challenges as the monsoon season progresses. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a new set of alerts for the coming days.

While light to moderate rainfall is expected across most parts of the state, several districts are likely to face heavy rainfall till September 6.

According to the latest IMD bulletin, an orange alert has been issued for Jamnagar, Porbandar, Dwarka, and Kutch, with expectations of heavy to very heavy rainfall. Additionally, Junagadh, Rajkot, Morbi, Gir Somnath, and Diu are under a yellow warning due to anticipated heavy rains, while the remaining areas are expected to experience light to moderate showers.

Today, light to moderate rain and thundershowers are forecast across most districts in Gujarat. In September, the IMD predicts that while most areas will see continued light to moderate rain, districts like Navsari, Valsad, Daman, and Dadra & Nagar Haveli are under a yellow alert warning for heavy rainfall.

The IMD has issued an orange alert for Vadodara and Chhota Udepur for September 2, forecasting heavy to very heavy rains.

A yellow warning has also been issued for Anand, Panchmahal, Dahod, Bharuch, Narmada, and Bhavnagar.

On September 3, the orange alert remains in effect for Narmada and Bharuch, with a yellow warning in place for Anand, Vadodara, Chhota Udepur, Surat, Dang, Tapi, Navsari, Valsad, Daman, Dadra Nagar Haveli, Amreli, and Bhavnagar.